Monday, 22 July 2013

SLS/ Orion takes a lot of trash talk here and elsewhere, and I'd tend to agree with the sense of the criticism. But then I tend to read news and sites that conform to my own prejudices (like many, I suppose).

There are always two sides to the story. I'd sure like to hear the rationale for the SLS from proponents in clear talk. surely there is a sense that it is doing something other than creating jobs? How are the arguments that it is way too expensive countered, for example? What is said about the point that it really has no mission?

Lots of thoughtful attempts to answer the questions that I posed. Attempts by thoughtful and informed people No actual answer, though, likely because there is no rational answer [or, one supposes, those with the answers aren't here because they don't like Keith :-) !]

More broadly, though: the denizens at NASAWatch follow space flight fairly closely. I know I do. So, by and large the criticism I read here is fact-based. So I wonder: what about the rest of the work the government is supposed to do? The tasks that I'm not qualified to judge? Is the monumental lack of direction in space exploration and in science emblematic of every damn federal program? Is the NASA screw-up what is happening everywhere?

Here's something terrifying: We live in a time when obstructionism is actually seen as a positive thing– just watch Bob Scheifer's interview with the Speaker of the House on Sunday. No matter where you sit with respect to President Obama, does it serve the country to simply oppose anything because the Administration proposed it, or supports it? No. I didn't like President Bush. I loved his Africa Aids program.

Yet obstructionism is the policy of the House, and of the Senate, where the Minority Leader famously and publicly advised the country in 2008 that his chief goal was assuring a one term presidency. The recent scuffle over approving second-tier appointments in the administration was elevated to 'nuclear war'? Really?

It's lunacy. I served as President of my synagogue for a few terms. When I was ready to turn over the reins, the new guy came in, immediately changed all of the software I'd installed, fired people, and made a mess. He never made an attempt to sit with me for transition. Why? Because there are folks in the world who simply feel they can do a better job, no matter what. It's stunningly partisan. And what does it get us?

Nothing, nothing in a democracy where no single person is ever a dictator. No matter the leadership, at some point we rally around, don't we, shouldn't we, for the good of the country? Shouldn't we find a way to respect each other and hammer out solutions?

Sorry. Maybe the wrong place for this harangue. I'm just so pissed off and demoralized. We are a stunningly, exceptionally rich country. And you know why we can't have nice things? Things like modern airports, a rail system, health care, college or other training? We could afford all of it and lower taxes at the same time. But just look at the fucking budget. We can't stay out of other people's business. We think we need to send rockets and drones to blow people up when building a road or a well or a school would buy undying love for the US anywhere in the world. And god forbid the government should make a risky investment in some alternative energy source that might fail, trying to move the country off oil. Because free enterprise!

And people are still without jobs. The wealth of the country is draining into the hands of the very few. Worship at the Altar of the Church of Corporate Citizenship is at an all time high. Folks continue voting against their own self-interest.

Nothing will happen while the House is loaded with very safe, very, very conservative seats. What you see now will likely prevail for at least a decade.

Sunday, 22 July 2012

And now a report from the American Chemical Society about the effect of trees in an urban environment

ACS Reports Trees Clean Better Than Thought

supports what I think we knew all along: trees and shrubs clean the air. But according to this report, the efficacy is more than we knew

Trees, bushes and other greenery growing in the concrete-and-glass canyons of cities can reduce levels of two of the most worrisome air pollutants by eight times more than previously believed, a new study has found. A report on the research appears in the ACS journalEnvironmental Science & Technology.

There's more research to be done, clearly. For example, I wonder exactly which trees or shrubs are the most efficacious? Does it matter where they are planted– in rows, in groups, or?

More broadly, what happens to the pollutants that enter these living systems? Are they all fully hydrolyzed or in some other way made into simple molecules? Is there a threshold of pain for the living material–how much pollution is too much?

Nonetheless, this report from a prestigious source is an important tool for Landscape Architects.

Thursday, 03 May 2012

The ability of U.S. scientists to monitor changes in the planet's climate, natural hazards, and land surface continues to deteriorate, warns a report from the U.S. National Academies' National Research Council (NRC) that was released today. Aging satellites are being replaced too slowly, the report concludes, and by 2020 the country may have only 25% of its current observing capacity.

Tuesday, 01 May 2012

In general I can't really fault GM food. And yes, I know, that this really annoys lots of my friends, many of whom think of me as a left-wing vegan. Which I am.

I just don't see an issue with artificially accelerating the evolution of food.

Here's where I draw the line: flourescent kittens created by splicing genes from ocean animals, ostensibly to support the 'fight against AIDS'. This is just wrong on so many levels, but it does yield one benefit: a clearly discernable and definsible line in the sand.

We've been encouraging nature to produce life forms more amenable to humans for centuries. Everything from wheat to dogs to horses to–well, it's a long list of critters.

(Image from Mayo Clinic)

Splicing genes from an entirely different animal, though, is new. Too new.

Thursday, 12 April 2012

For a flight to count, the pilot-astronaut or pilot-cosmonaut would have land with his spacecraft. After all, if a pilot fails to land his with his aircraft, it's usually because something has gone wrong and the flight has been a failure. Why should spaceflight be any different?

Yuri Gagarin has always been a bit of a hero to me. Why? Because what he did– climb into a rocket that was no where near ready for human flight– was a stunning act of bravery. In point of fact, all of the Mercury astronauts took a similar ride.

Tuesday, 17 January 2012

For many years, Ms. X. was the victim of serious pain, something that I know quite a bit about, since in my own case I've had severe back pain from congenital spida bifida and hip displacement.

Ms. X goes unnamed. Her name does not matter. Oddly enough, her husband is- you guessed it!– a chiropractor and massage therapist. He is a true believer, but more on that in a moment.

Her pain was intractable. She participated in treatments with her husband; sometimes it was better, sometimes worse, and she did not know where to place her confidence.

She saw several neurologists, two of whom gave her MRI exams. This was ten years ago when these machines cost thousands to run, so much that it was cheaper for her to fly to Costa Rica for the exam. And why not? Their doctors go to our Universities and have similar credentials. I'd have done the same for recent dental work but for a couple of unrelated issues.

The local neurologist offered her one thing: pain medicine. At first, it worked and worked very well. She was taking hydrocodone (5.0 MG) and Ultram/ Tramadol at the same time. As the months went by, though, her body became habituated. And she did not want to embarrass her husband, or, worse, undermine him. So, she never told him. She lied by omission with her heart in the right place. Life went on, with no pain.

Dr. knew the meds would stop working so he increased the dosage to 7.5 and finally 10. 0 mg 6 times a day. For those not knowing, that is a LOT of medicine. Even that wasn't enough.

A Mediterra Landscape Committee writes:
We wish we had known Michael years ago…he’s patient, very knowledgeable, and keen on saving money…
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The President of a Pelican Marsh Community sends this:
Thank you Michael…for the sort of professional advice that will help us set a proper course for our community and give us the tools to alleviate residents' concerns.
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A Pelican Bay Committee sends this:
Michael was reading our minds! He knew our problems before we did, and had alternative solutions for us…he knew how to see through our eyes. How does he do that?
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A Pelican Marsh Community sends this:
Michael’s smart design sense and plant choices have saved us maintenance and mulch expense…